Working From Home

Even though Boston College reports approximately two-thirds of people believe working at home is a positive influence on job success, work/life balance, and job commitment, those of us who use a home office understand the difficulties associated with productivity. A home office means there will be a mingling of personal home responsibilities and those that are demanded by your career. Balancing these two significant parts of your life is a secret sought by stay at home parents and telecommuters. Some have even found the solution.

NOT 9 To 5

It is illogical to think you will do six hours of parenting, two hours of exercise and eight hours of work all during traditional work hours. One of the reasons you opted for a home office is to be able to do all of your work, personal and professional, throughout the day. Create a schedule that will work for you. I have worked at home for a number of years. When my son was in Elementary school I would start my work at 6:00 am, then take a break to get him dressed, fed and off to school. Come back to work until 3:00 pm, then once again take a break to get him a snack and a cuddle, then get him started on his homework and I would go back to work. Anne Rice, the author of the “Vampire Chronicles,” slept in the daytime and worked at night, theoretically to remove distractions. The schedule you adopt must include those hours when you are the most alert and creative. To stay alert during a long work day, it may be best to schedule a nap to reenergize your body.

Have A Cup Of Joe

Caffeine has a long list of positive health benefits, which is why it has become the go-to drink of the work-at-home professional. Caffeine is a stimulant, so a cup of coffee will help keep you awake and alert. If you are working your own schedule and balancing home and career responsibilities, then you may need this little boost throughout the day. Instead of a pot of coffee or a kettle of tea heating all day, a single cup coffee maker may be a good investment. There is even evidence that this caffeine lift can make you smarter. Caffeine blocks neuro-inhibitors, making your brain function faster.

Maintain Goals

When you are a woman, it’s easy to get distracted by the loads of laundry and the dust bunnies. Don’t do it. Throw a load of laundry in when you take a break, but then get back to work. The to-do list is the tool of choice for the work-at-home pro. Being productive is all about maintaining and hitting your goals. Prioritize your work daily. Create a list of what needs to be accomplished throughout the day. As things come up, use the Two-Minute Rule. Coined by author and business consultant David Allen, the rule says that if you can handle it in two minutes or less, then do it. If not, prioritize it. Using this idea, everything either gets scheduled or is completed immediately.

Stay Happy

Juan Casimiro, entrepreneur and founder of the nonprofit business incubator Casimiro Global Foundation, believes people are driven not only by personal success, but by the success of communities. This focus of community success is part of the definition of happiness and is integral to personal productivity. There is a large body of evidence showing happy workers are productive workers. Keeping yourself happy requires you look at the important things in life, and measuring your success against them. If you chose to stay home because you wanted to be with the kids, then make this a priority and revel in your time with them. The money may not be there, but the joy will more than make up for it. If you’re getting tired and cant concentrate, get a great song going on you tube and it will rev up your engines.

Get Out

Join a networking group, one that you pay money to be in because they will hold you accountable. Join some local community clubs, and invite your friends out for lunch at least once a week. It’s way to easy to let yourself get isolated. If you aren’t paying attention to the real world, it’s going to be difficult to get inspired and do good work.